Abstract
As the practice of design is becoming increasingly digital, simulations, demonstrations, and representations continue to rely on cutting edge digital communication techniques presented through screens to clients. Technological advancements have transformed the field of design, largely for the better, tremendously increasing the ease of which designers can produce, reproduce, manipulate, alter, and communicate their work. However, as design education shifts further towards the digital realm it becomes increasingly important to showcase how these technologies translate back to the physical constructed world; that these tools are not themselves what generates a design, but rather a tool in a larger process of communication and fabrication sensitive to the people within the community that use the space. Furthermore, a Community Design Build program implemented as the culmination of a digital media sequence offers a unique opportunity to identify the connections between advanced digital design tools and fundamental communication skills. Students work through the various types of representation needed in the build process for different audiences from understanding user needs to technical specifications. Opportunities for students to utilize emerging technologies in physical making are essential in their understanding of form and material. Realities such as strength, tolerance, and scale which often appear perfect when modeled are tested through physical prototyping. The rigorous testing process endured in Community Design Build ensures that students are able to translate their digital skills into tangible structures. Additionally, this process teaches the project management skills necessary to build the confidence in their material choices and assembly process.
Presenters
Michelle PannoneAssistant Professor, School of Architecture, Marywood University, Pennsylvania, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Design Build, Emerging Technology, Participatory Design
